The best things to do in Naples will surprise you — and that’s exactly the point. Naples is the most misunderstood city in Italy. Visitors who arrive with low expectations almost universally leave with Naples near the top of their Italian experiences. This is a city of extraordinary contrasts — chaotic and beautiful, overwhelming and deeply human, home to world-class archaeological treasures and the greatest street food culture in the country.
The best things to do in Naples span ancient Roman ruins to the birthplace of pizza, from one of the world’s finest museums to day trips to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast that are among the most spectacular experiences Italy has to offer.
This guide covers all the best things to do in Naples in 2026 — from unmissable paid attractions to completely free experiences — so you can make the most of this extraordinary southern Italian city.
1. Visit the National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum of Naples is one of the best things to do in Naples and one of the finest museums in the world. Housing the most important collection of ancient Roman artefacts anywhere on earth — much of it excavated from Pompeii and Herculaneum — this extraordinary museum gives an unparalleled insight into daily life in ancient Rome.
Highlights include the Farnese Hercules a colossal ancient sculpture the Alexander Mosaic showing the famous battle between Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia, and the Secret Cabinet containing explicit Roman art that was hidden from public view for centuries. Allow two to three hours minimum.
Tickets from €22 check availability at ourbudget hotels in Naples page.
2. Eat Neapolitan Pizza
Eating a proper Neapolitan pizza is one of the most important best things to do in Naples and genuinely one of the great food experiences in Italy. Naples is the birthplace of pizza and the Neapolitan version with its soft, charred, slightly chewy base, simple tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil is categorically different from and superior to anything you’ll eat elsewhere.
The most famous pizzerias L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, Sorbillo, Di Matteo are legendary for good reason. A full pizza costs €4-8. The experience of eating it standing or sitting on a plastic stool in a packed, noisy Neapolitan pizzeria is one of those travel moments that stays with you forever.
Budget: €4-8 per pizza ✅
3. Day Trip to Pompeii
Taking a day trip to Pompeii is one of the absolute best things to do in Naples — and one of the most extraordinary historical experiences in the world. The ancient Roman city, buried under volcanic ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, is remarkably well-preserved. Streets, houses, bakeries, baths, theatres and even graffiti from nearly 2,000 years ago survive in extraordinary condition.
Walking through Pompeii and imagining the city as it was on the morning of the eruption — ordinary people going about ordinary lives before the volcano changed everything — is a profound and deeply moving experience. Allow a full day — the site is large and rewards thorough exploration.
Take the Circumvesuviana train from Naples Centrale to Pompeii Scavi station — about 40 minutes, €3 each way. Entrance from €16.
Book train tickets in advance on ourcheap train tickets page.
4. Explore the Spaccanapoli
Walking along Spaccanapoli — the long straight street that literally splits Naples in two — is one of the best free things to do in Naples. This extraordinary street, following the exact line of the ancient Greek city’s main road, is lined with baroque churches, street food vendors, artisan workshops, nativity scene makers and a density of life and activity that is unlike anywhere else in Italy.
The best things to do in Naples often involve simply walking and watching — and Spaccanapoli is the best place in the city to do this. Stop for a sfogliatella pastry (€2) or a coffee at the bar and watch Naples go about its business.
Free to walk. ✅
5. Visit the Naples Underground
Visiting Naples Underground — Napoli Sotterranea — is one of the most fascinating best things to do in Naples. Beneath the city’s streets lies a vast network of tunnels, cisterns and chambers carved from the volcanic tuff rock over two thousand years of continuous occupation. Ancient Greek aqueducts, Roman ruins, wartime air raid shelters and eerie passageways make for a genuinely extraordinary tour.
The tour takes you 40 metres below street level into a world that most visitors to Naples never see. It’s cool, atmospheric, and unlike any other underground experience in Italy.
Tickets from €10 — book in advance during peak season.
6. See the Castel dell’Ovo
The Castel dell’Ovo Castle of the Egg is one of the best free things to do in Naples. Naples’ oldest castle, built on a small island in the Bay of Naples, offers some of the finest views of the city, the bay and Mount Vesuvius from its battlements. The castle is free to enter and the surrounding borgo marinaro a small fishing village at its base has some of Naples’ most atmospheric seafood restaurants.
The name comes from a legend that the poet Virgil hid a magical egg in the castle’s foundations — and that when the egg breaks, Naples will fall. The egg, apparently, is still there.
Free to enter. ✅
7. Explore the Historic Centre
Naples’ historic centre — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — is one of the best free things to do in Naples. The densely packed medieval streets contain an extraordinary concentration of churches, palaces, underground ruins and street life that is genuinely overwhelming in the best possible way. Every other building seems to contain a significant work of art.
The Church of San Gregorio Armeno is famous for its nativity scene workshops the craftsmen here make elaborate handcrafted figures that are collected across Italy. The Duomo contains the famous blood of San Gennaro three times a year, the dried blood liquefies in what Neapolitans consider a miracle. The Pio Monte della Misericordia houses Caravaggio’s Seven Acts of Mercy one of his greatest paintings.
Free to explore. ✅
8. Day Trip to the Amalfi Coast
Taking a day trip to the Amalfi Coast is one of the best things to do in Naples for sheer natural beauty. Just 60-90 minutes from Naples by train and ferry or bus, the dramatic cliffside villages of Positano, Amalfi and Ravello are among the most spectacular scenery in Italy.
The coastal road winding along vertiginous cliffs above the turquoise Tyrrhenian Sea, with lemon groves and terraced gardens clinging to the rock, is genuinely one of the finest drives in the world. Take the train to Salerno then a ferry along the coast for the most beautiful approach.
Book train tickets in advance on ourcheap train tickets page. Check ourbudget hotels in Amalfi pagefor accommodation options.
9. Eat Street Food at the Markets
Eating street food at Naples’ markets is one of the absolute best things to do in Naples on a budget. The street food culture here is extraordinary — and genuinely different from anywhere else in Italy. Naples gave the world pizza, but it also gave us sfogliatella (flaky pastry with ricotta), pizza fritta (fried pizza), sartù di riso (rice timbale) and zeppole (fried dough).
The Quartieri Spagnoli neighbourhood is the best area for authentic street food. The Pignasecca market near Piazza Carità is where locals shop and eat. Budget €5-10 for a genuinely outstanding street food lunch.
Budget: €5-10 ✅
10. Watch the Sunset Over the Bay of Naples
Watching the sunset over the Bay of Naples — with Mount Vesuvius silhouetted against the evening sky — is one of the most beautiful best things to do in Naples and it costs absolutely nothing. The Posillipo hill on the western side of the city, the waterfront promenade of Via Caracciolo, and the battlements of the Castel dell’Ovo all offer spectacular views as the sun drops behind the islands of Ischia and Procida.
Naples faces west which means the sunsets here, over the bay with the volcano in the background, are among the finest in all of Italy.
Free no ticket needed. ✅
Practical Tips for Naples
- Book Pompeii tickets in advance:Pompeii gets very busy in summer — pre-booking saves significant time at the entrance.
- Stay aware of your belongings:Naples has a reputation for pickpocketing — keep your phone in a front pocket and bags zipped in busy areas.
- Eat pizza for lunch not dinner:Neapolitan pizzerias are busiest and most atmospheric at lunch. Evening queues at the famous pizzerias can be very long.
- Use the train to Pompeii:The Circumvesuviana train is cheap and runs regularly. Don’t pay for a taxi or tour when the train is €3 each way.
- Visit in spring or autumn:Naples in July and August is hot, busy and expensive. April, May, September and October offer a much more enjoyable experience.
For official travel information visit theItalian Tourism Board.
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